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Monday, March 26, 2018

For the boating
enthusiast there is no better place in the United States than Florida. Florida offers access to the Atlantic Ocean
the Gulf of Mexico, the Intracoastal Waterway, Lake Okeechobee and numerous swamps,
streams, rivers, ponds and lakes. Regardless
of where you are enjoying the waters in Florida, the first priority for every responsible
boater is to take all prudent measures to prevent a boating accident or boating
injury. The more you do to prepare, the safer you will be during your boating
excursions. These are some easy things you can do to help keep you, your boat,
and others safe on the water.1. Leave the alcohol at the dock or have a designated driver!Alcohol is even more hazardous on the water than on land.Drinking and boating can dramatically increase the odds of a
boating accident or boating injury, especially in Florida where the waters are
often crowded with inexperienced boaters. All it takes is one miscalculation by
an inexperienced boater to ruin your day and possibly your life. Aside from being illegal, the US Coast Guard
reports boating under the influence incidents result in a 34 percent higher fatality rate.

2. Don't turn
down your emergency radio.It
is very important to monitor Channel 16; it may save your life or someone
else’s.You must also know how to use your VHF in the event of a boating emergency.3.Maintain
safe speed and lookout.Overall,
operator inattention, operator inexperience, excess speedand improper lookout
were the leading contributing factors in boating accidents and boating injuries.
Know your boat’s limitations as well as your own. Take note of visibility,
traffic density and the proximity of navigation hazards like shoals, rocks or
floating objects. Don’t invite a collision by going faster than is prudent.4.Make sure
your boat is properly maintained.Make sure your boat is in good working order before you take it out on the water with passengers. To help make sure your vessel is as safe as
possible the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and U.S. Power Squadron offer Vessel Safety Checksat no cost. Their certified vessel examiners will check your
boat’s equipment and provide information about its use, safety procedures and
applicable regulations. Florida also has certain requirements for boating.5.Get an EPRIB!!! An EPIRB or PLB is used to alert search and rescue (SAR) agencies in the event
of a boating accident. It does this by transmitting a coded message on
the 406 MHz distress frequency via satellite and earth stations to the nearest
Rescue Coordination Center, which then notifies rescue personnel. If your
EPIRB transmits GPS coordinates, your position can be identified in as little as
2-3 minutes.6.Know the law
about life jackets.Florida has the
unfortunate distinction of being the national leader in annual boating
fatalities. A majority of boating accidents and boating injuries result when a
passenger falls overboard and drowns. These deaths can be easily prevented by
wearing a lifejacket. Don’t believe it could happen to
you? It happens in Florida to an average of one person each week who never
thought it could happen to them either. 7.Know before you go.Take a boating safety course. 80 percent of individuals who die in boating accidents have never taken a boating safety course. Along with making sure your safety equipment is in good
working order, make sure you know how to use it. Also, you can get a
free vessel safety check .8.Watch the
weather.Monitoring the
forecast, as well as the marine weather forecast, is crucial to boating safely because the
weather can often change quickly, leaving boaters in a precarious position if
unprepared. Tune your radio to the National Weather Serviceto listen for small-craft warnings, and heed them.9.Take a
boating safety course. The
best way to ensure that you know the safest procedures for operating a boat is
to take the Florida boating safety course.

Here are some other links to helpful
information for preventing boating accidents and boating injuries